"Sound Off" a marching, cadence song with various titles and lyrics...many made up extemporaneously. The best known, perhaps, is Mitch Miller's version done about 1955, coincedent withe the movie "Battle Cry" in which the song is appropriately featured.--John

I always thought the best-known recording of "Sound Off" was the one done by Vaughn Monroe in the early 1950's. I've been trying to find that song on a CD for years, but it's not on any of the Vaughn Monroe collections I've found. Anybody know where I can find it?-Joe Offer-

I found it - it's on a compilation called The Very Best of Vaughn Monroe. It was a difficult quest, because I wanted to find a song that had "Duckworth" and didn't have most of the songs that are on the other Vaughn Monroe compilation that I already had.-Joe Offer, 26 Sept 04-

As I indicated on the Jody thread a while back, even the Romans sang or chanted them. I once read a translation of a Roman jody wherein the soldiers complained of Scippio Africanus getting all the wine and pretty women, while they did all the fighting.

I've often if that song that starts off mentioning Lord Nelson is a true marching song, used by sailors on those occassions when they had to march to fight on land. Starts off "Lord Nelson had a remedy to cure your mal-de-mer", which is sometimes mondegreened into "moldy mare".:)

C'mon, you folks have to know these!!! Let me try one innocent one to see if this is what someone wants.....GI beans and GI Gravy, Gee I wish I'd joined the Navy...Sound Off....Sound Off....Sound off 1-2...3-4, ain't no use in lookin' down, ain't no discharge on the ground... Count Cadance, Count Cadence Count Cadence count!Geez, combined with the damn mothballs mentioned in an earlier thread my mind is back to being 19 again......now if only my body was

I have a grandson in Safe P. (State Jail) and he is the Cadence Caller and is wanting some new or old cadence calls. He has permission from the warden to get some new calls. He wrote to me asking if I might find some on the internet. So I came here hoping to find some for him. Many Thanks, Carolyn

Joe this could be a win/win situation. You being of a certain age, I think, may remember that in the 1950s there could be simultaneous, multiple recordings (even hits) on the same song. Some I remember--not counting God-awful R&B covers by white folks--"Hey There", "Answer Me Oh My Love [Lord]" "Unchained Melody", "This Old House" and on and on and on. After I posted earlier, I recalled that Art Lund [perhaps] had also sung "Sound Off".

about 20 years ago the US army decided to clean up its act, and outlaw dirty cadences. this put an end to a lot of the tridition of millitary cadences. Maybee some old guys remember them, but they're no longer passed on.

I'm glad to see this thread being revived. I recently had a practical lesson in the value of marching songs when I marched with my team in the Four Days Marches in Nijmegen, Holland. I was the lead singer for our team, and I found that a good song really does help you push through the pain. Some of my favourites were "Halo Infantry" (I have no idea what the Halo means) and "Mama, mama can't you see" and a French song "Mon pere n'avait que dix poulets". They had a powerful rythymn and were easy to sing loud. Some other good songs, like Barrett's Privateers, didn't work as well on the march because I was almost gasping for air at the end of a line.

The Canadian Army has a long tradition of pretty filthy marching songs too, but we were under strict orders not to sing anything really offensive. Not to worry, the Dutch units took care of that. They were always singing, mostly songs in English that they'd picked up from the Brits and Americans. I heard a lot of good singing from the Brits and Americans, but not the obscene stuff I remember from years ago.

For a folkie like me, it was fascinating to be part of an active folk process. We heard another Canadian team singing "Halo Infantry" towards the end of the third day. Their lead singer taught it to me, and said that he had heard an American team singing it a couple of years before.

Now that the subject has been brought up again, are their any recordings of Jodys or marching songs. I probably won't have a chance to do Nijmegen again, but if I do I'd like to learn some new songs.

It's amazing what one _can_ march to. I recall that a few years ago, a batch of us (re-enactors) were in full kit, marching through Autuilles (a town on part of the Somme battlefield) to 'A little Bit of Cucumber', and marching down the country roads to "Serjeant Soloman Isaacstien" and a 'filk' version of "Doctor Shelly" (insulting one of our members), they all worked and they all helped the march. If it has a simple rhythmn, can be adjusted to the marching empo and the lines are short enough to allow breathing, you csn march to it.

Thanks for that. The version I know of Devil Will be My Sergeant has the line "Forty I got for selling my coat", meaning lashes. I wish there were more verses.

That's an excellent site Mary. It doesn't seem to have exactly the stuff I was looking for, which was more in the line of marching chanteys for people who are exhausted and ready to give serious consideration to having their feet amputated. However, it was great fun listening to those old recordings.

It made me clean the living room. It made me clean the bathroom. It said Michael Jackson is a fag. Put him in a garbage bag. Tick tac toe three in a row. Tickle yourself! -- {Both collected from African American girls and boys, Pittsburgh, Pa area, 1999, 2000}

Has anyone else heard rhymes like these used by children?

What these rhymes say about the children's values and "political" views is a whole 'nother story...

The children's rhymes I've collected and some of the verses of this military cadence have close similarities, particularly the beginning two lines and the lines "they took away my MTV"=kid's version and "they took away my gun/wheels.."= military version.

The folk tradition is alive and well!

{You may want to see the Jody's children's thread if you have not already done so.}

Er, that was me signing on as guest. I also see that I didn't actually post the lyrics to "Our Sergeant Major" as I thought I did. Here goes:

1. Our Sergeant-Major jumped from 40,000 feet (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more

CHORUS:

And the Lord said, Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die, Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die, Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die, When your balls hang lower than your paratrooper boots (Or repeat "And he ain't gonna jump no more" if you want to be more polite)

2. He was the last to leave the plane, the first to hit the ground (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more

CHORUS

3. He landed on the runway like a little blob of shit (or "like a blob of strawberry jam) (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more

CHORUS

4. They scraped him off the runway with a little silver spoon (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more

CHORUS

5. They put him in a matchbox and they sent him home to Mom (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more

CHORUS

6. They put him on the mantelpiece for everyone to see (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more

CHORUS

7. Now he is a soldier in the Army of the Lord (3X) And he ain't gonna jump no more (I learned this last verse from a British unit at the Nijmegen Marches this summer)

Funny how there are so often two threads running on the same subject (e.g., this and "Jody's children," two current threads on tips for guitar beginnners, etc.).

Guest's long set of verses to "Mama Mama Can't You See," 2 or 3 posts above, is great. I had forgotten one of my favorite couplets: "Ain't no use in lookin' down / Ain't no discharge on the ground."

I was surprised, however, to see the word "gun" appear in several places. When I was in US Army Basic Training, you could catch some serious hell for using that word -- the correct terminology was "weapon."

This comment is in tune with the rainy weather we're having in Pittsburgh today:

It just occurred to me that the cadence refrain "he ain't gonna jump no more" sounds very much like the African American antebellum dance song refrains "Ain't gonna {gwine} rain no more" and "Ain't gonna work no more."

Has anyone else written about this similarity?

I see that there is a thread for "Ain't gonna rain no more". I will post this observation there also.

"..."Tuppence I got for selling my clothes"..." (more usually "Fifty I got for selling my coat" - a reference to lashes awarded by a Commanding Officer) is sung to the traditional tune "The Rogues' March", traditionally played when the prisoner is marched out to punishment or in 'Drumming out' someone considered undesirable for service.

"Fifty I got for selling my coat, "Fifty for selling my blanket, "If ever I 'list for a soldier again, "The Devil shill be my sergeant. "Poor old soldier, "Poor old soldier, "Fifty I got for selling my coat, "Fifty for selling my blanket, "If ever I 'list for a soldier again, "The Devil shill be my sergeant."

I did the Nijmegen marches many years ago as a territorial soldier. My recollection is that the Germans had the best marching songs, and everyone seemed to know the words. By comparison, we were a poor lot. But one song worked fantastically for us and had the watchers on the road sides laughing. The Hokey Cokey, complete with turnabouts on the march.

does anyone recognize the tune below? my grandma was asking about it, she used to hear it on the radio all the time during the war while she was in england. below is what she remembers of it. a name, artist, anything will be a help. thanks

Canadian Marching Song:

We're on our way We're on our way We're on our way to Berchtesgaden And every day, every day is one day nearer When we get there you will hear us Singing hey-di ho-di hey When we get there You can betcha We'll have Hitler on a stretcher Singing hey hey hey We're on our way

I am training for Nijmegen again this year, and today I tried out "Johnny Come down to Hilo" as a marching song, with new lyrics designed for Canadian military marchers. It seemed to work well, especially the "Oh, wake her, oh shake her" which I could bellow all day without losing my breath. I also changed "with the blue dress on" to "with the CADPAT on", referring to the Canadian Forces pattern of camouflage combat uniforms.

I hope I do get to sing it in Nijmegen, but I may well not be able to go. People who have completed all the training and have never gone before have priority, and there were enough first timers who qualified this year to fill all the spots on my team. My chances of going will now depend on a spot becoming vacant on another team. If I don't go this year, I will tell my team mates to sing it for me.

We doing a chairity march 9 and a bit miles we desperatly looking for songs we can learn quickly and easily to spur on our cadets so anybody with a hand would be extremly helpful and what tune there sang to we got a few but no where near enough

I could give you the lyrics to quite a few songs, but if you don't know the tunes the words won't help you much.

A lot of good marching songs are based on traditional and older British and American popular tunes. For example, "Our Sergeant Major" mentioned earlier in this thread is sung to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

I have had good results with a couple of sea chanties, "Johnny Come Down to Hilo" and "Roll the Old Chariot". If you know any sea chanties, some could work well for you.

Some of my favourite marching songs are "Mama, mama, can't you see", "They say that in the Army", "Hey, hey, Captain Jack", and "Way, hey, rock and roll." The words are often pretty stupid and the tunes are simple, but they can keep you going when you are tired and your feet hurt.

You will need at least one real song leader, somebody who can sing loud and isn't tone deaf. A "good" voice is nice, but not essential. Call and response songs are the easiest because the whole group doesn't have to learn all the words. However, the song leader has to know the tune cold, even if he or she uses a song sheet for the words.

Simple tunes, without too much variation in pitch and fairly short lines, work the best. I have found that some good songs don't adapt easily to marching because they are just too hard to sing while marching at 5 km an hour or more. My marching was done wearing a rucksack, so it might be easier for your group.

Final word of advice: make sure your cadets drink lots of water throughout the march. They will suffer if they don't.

For the botanists ~ The words are from Gray's Manual of Botany ~ I had the entire botany class marching along singing this song while on a field trip. Oh well,at least I still remember the characteristics of the family Primulaceae.

To the tune The Ants Go Marching One by One

Herbs with opposite or whorled leaves Hurrah, Hurrah Flowers five merous the petals united Hurrah, Hurrah Stamens five and opposite the petals, Ovary superior, placentation free central, And the fruit is a capsule in Primulaceae.

Hey, hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that rifle in my hand I'm gonna be a shootin' man A shootin' man The best I can For Uncle Sam

Hey, hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that knife in my hand I'm gonna be a cuttin' man A cuttin' man A shootin' man The best I can For Uncle Sam

Hey, hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that grenade in my hand I'm gonna be a killin' man A killin' man A cuttin' man A shootin' man The best I can For Uncle Sam

Hey, hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that bottle in my hand I'm gonna be a drinkin' man A drinkin' man A killin' man A cuttin' man A shootin' man The best I can For Uncle Sam

Hey, hey Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track With that book in my hand I'm gonna be a studyin' man A studyin' man A drinkin' man A killin' man A cuttin' man A shootin' man The best I can For Uncle Sam

just wondering if any one has hered The O C O, i don't know all the words it a rifles song, just wondered if any could post the words. or any other rifle songs. it goes along the lines of "the oco is a merry asshole,.......beer, beer, beer, said the riflemen and a merry ol men are we." somethin like that.

C-130 running down the strip (repeat) Airborne ranger on a one way trip (repeat) Mission top secret, destination unknown (repeat) Don't even know if I'm going home (repeat) Stand-up, hook-up, shuffle to the door (repeat) Jump right out and count to four (repeat) If my main don't open wide (repeat) I got a reserve on my side (repeat) If that one should fail me too (repeat) Look out ground there's a ranger comin' through (repeat) I said hey all the way (repeat) I say hey every day (repeat) If I die on the old drop zone (repeat) Then box me up and send me home (repeat) Bury me at leaning rest (repeat) Tell my mama I've done my best (repeat) I said hey all the way (repeat) I say hey every day (repeat)

That's definitely a Canadian army song, but the correct title is "Old King Cole". I first heard when I was in Army Cadets years ago. It goes like this:

Old King Cole was a (merry old soul)(or horny ass hole) And a merry old soul was he And he called for his pipe in the middle of the night (in the first that I first heard it was "he called for his wife") And he called for his privates three.

Beer, beer, beer said the privates, Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare To (insert name of unit or other group that rhymes with we, e.g. Bravo Company)

The song then builds, adding a rank each time, always ending up with beer, beer, beer said the privates. There are various versions. One that comes to mind right now is:

Left, right, left, right, left said the corporals Move to the right in threes said the sergeants Put that man on charge said the warrants What shall we do now? said the louies We do all the work said the captains We want six weeks leave said the majors Bring us in more wine said the colonels Where the hell's my car, said the generals

I am a cadet in the Air Training Corps (Air Cadets) and currently doing training for the nijmegen march, although I can't do it this year as I'm not yet 16. So far the training weekends I've done have gone really well, and I've definately been helped along by the singing (good and bad). I especially like 'Way, hey rock and roll' - that's best in the early morning down by the sea front when it's raining. I've sung a lot of the songs mentioned here, but some with slightly different versions. Does anyone know any different lyrics to the song with the chorus "Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die"? I heard a couple of people singing a really good version with not so many repeats and I really want to learn it. Here's another song that has a good tune:

(Verses to be repeated after each line)

When my grandaddy Was one hundred and one He did the Nijmegen marches Just for fun

When my grandaddy Was one hundred and two He did the Nijmegen marches Just like me and you

Chorus

Verses are repeated with the following:

One hundred and three - He did the Nijmegen marches/ Between his lunch and his tea One hundred and four - He said I can't slow down now/ For you boys no more One hundred and five - Well he taught me the two-step/ For the Nijmegen jive One hundred and six - He said well come on boys/ This ones for forty clicks One hundred and seven - Well the poor man died/ And he went to heaven One hundred and eight - With his head held high/ Walked through those pearly gates One hundred and nine - Well he had all them angels/ All marching in time One hundred and ten - He said let me back down/ I want to do that again

Thanks to Edmund for all his suggestions and tips on doing the actual Nijmegen. You should get webbing - it's so much better than wearing a rucksack.

I can't think right now of other lyrics to go with the chorus of "Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die." I'll post them later on if I come up with something.

I am training (with my boss's permission) for Nijmegen yet again, but I have no more expectation than last year of being able to go. However, it does me good and gets me out of the office three times a week.

The new small pack that has now been issued to just about everybody in the Canadian Army is a good piece of kit - a lot better than the old rucksack. We have to carry 10 kg of dead weight, i.e. beyond water and food, so I'm not sure that webbing would do the trick.

I'm glad to see someone your age using the Mudcat. Why not get a membership?

when i did the training for nijmegen (Air training corp) the songs really pulled me through(i only did the training because i was away). Hopefully doing it next year is there any chance people can send me various songs that we can add to our lengthy list already?

Nowadays at Nijmegen you're likely to hear that one sung by the Dutch, but not by the Canadians or Americans.

The stars have aligned themselves in my favour, and it looks like I will be marching at Nijmegen after all, but on an international team rather than one of the Canadian Forces teams.

Here's one that I wrote last year for my Nijmegen team, to the tune of "Johnny Come Down to Hilo". Local references: CADPAT = Canadian Disruptive Pattern camouflage; the Rideau is the Rideau River that joins the Ottawa River not very far from my house:

JOHNNY COME DOWN THE RIDEAU

I ain't never seen the like since I've been born, Canadian soldier with his rucksack on, Johnny come down the Rideau, poor old man!

I've always said a different line in what you call "Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die" - formaly known as "The Flying Fortress" Here goes...

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die With a rifle up your ass and a bullet in your eye..

Heres a few more I know, if anyones interested...

Airborne Ranger

Two old lady's lyin in a bed.. One rolled over and the other one said I wanna life of danger I wanna be an airborne ranger

C-130 rollin down the strip Airborne Rangers' gonna take a trip Stand up, buckle up, shufle to the door Jump right out on the count of four

If my main don't open wide I gotta reserve by my side and if that one should fail me two look out ground im comin through

(change to sing-song tune...) And when I go to heaven St Peter's gonna say "How'd you enjoy your livin boy How'd you enjoy your pay?" And I reply with a little bit of anger I lived my life as an Airborne Ranger Blood and guts, glory and danger That's the life of an Airborne Ranger And when I go to hell Satan's gonna say "How'd you enjoy your livin boy, How'd you enjoy your pay?" And I'll reply with a whole lot of anger I lived my life as an Aiborne Ranger Blood and guts, glory and danger That's the life of an Airborne Ranger

Here's a pretty obscene marching song...

Walkin round Canal street, knockin on every door, God d*** son of a b****, couldn't find a w****.

Finally found a wh***, She was tall and thin, God d*** son of a b**** couldn't get it in.

Finally got it in, Wiggled it all around, God d*** son of a b****, couldn't get it out.

Finally got it out, It was red and sore. The moral of the story is to never f*** a wh***

Yellow Bird

Yellow bird with a yellow bill sittin on my window sill I lured him in with a piece of bread and then i smashed his f***ing head.

i am sorry if i didn't seem very sporting, i did not mean it in a selfish way. i haven't been on here for a while so at your request here are some songs :)

Lady in red - is repeated after every line

There's a lady in red she makes her living on the bed There's a lady in red she makes her living on the bed

(chorus) singing nar nar nar nar wooo whooo do do do do do do do do

Theres a lady in green she a rampant sex machine Theres a lady in green she a rampant sex machine

(chorus)

black- see like to take it from the back white- earns her living through the night blue- she is making eyes at you yellow - shes a funny looking fellow grey- she likes to do it in the hay

there is some others but they get ruder and ruder

The prettiest girl (again this is the lead and is to be repeated after each line and then the whole verse is repeated)

the prettiest girl, i ever saw was sipping vodka, through a straw the prettiest girl, i ever saw was sipping vodka, through a straw

(Chorus)

we are the team, who feel no pain, but thats because, we have no brains,

(or/and)

oh here we go, we're at it again, we're moving out, we're moving in,

i walked right up, and sat right down, and ordered up, another round,

(Chorus)

i put my hand, upon her toe, she said young man, your rather low,

(Chorus)

i put my hand, upon her knee, she said young man, your teasing me,

(Chorus)

i put my hand, upon her thigh, she said young man, you're far too high,

(Chorus)

i picked her up, and laid her down, her long blonde hair, fell all around,

(Chorus)

i put my hand, inside her vest, she said young man, you surely jest,

(Chorus)

i put my hand, upon her crutch, she said young man, you're far too much,

(Chorus)

i pushed it in, i pulled it out, it was so good, it made her shout,

(Chorus)

the wedding was, a formal one, her father hand, a white shotgun,

(Chorus)

and now i have, a mother-in-law, and fourteen kids, who call me pa,

(Chorus)

the moral of, this story is clear, instead of vodka, stick to beer.

'what a way to die' (flying fortress or blood upon the risers) one version goes something like this:

they flew the flying fortress up to forty thousand feet they flew the flying fortress up to forty thousand feet they flew the flying fortress up to forty thousand feet and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus) glory glory what a hell of a way to die with a bayonet up your arse hole and a bullet in your eye glory glory what a hell of a way to die and he ent going to jump no more

he was a rooky trooper and he surly shook with fright as he checked on his equipment and made sure his pack was tight he had to sit and listen to those powerful engines roar and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus)

'is everybody happy'? cried the sergaent looking up our hero feebly answered yes and then they shood him up he leaped right out into the blast his static line unhooked and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus)

he counted loud, he counted long, he waited for the shock he felt the wind, he felt the clouds, he felt the awful drop he jerked his cord, the silk spilled out and wrapped around his legs and he ent going o jump no more

(chorus)

the riser wrapped around his neck , connectors cracked his dome suspension lines were tied in knots around his skinny bones the canopy became a shroud, he hurtled to the ground and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus)

the days he'd lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind he thought about the girl back home, the one he'd left behind he thought about the medics and he wondered what they'd find and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus)

the ambulance was on the shot, the GI's running wild the medics jumped and screamed with glee, they rolled up their sleeves and smiled for it had been at least a week since last a chute had failed and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus)

he hit the ground, the sound was splat, his blood went spirting high his comrades all were heard to say; ' what a helluva way to die' he lay there rolling round in the welter of his gore and he ent going to jump no more

(chorus)

the was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute intestines were a danding from the paratroopers' boots they poured him from his helmet and the scraped him from his chute and he ent going to jump no more

I'm not sure what other answer to give James besidese changing the words to already existing cadences, or making up some new ones. Does anyone here know any firefighter jodies/cadences?

Here's the only two firefighter cadences that are featured on my website's page on Military Cadences:

When I Get To Heaven {Version #2} [Fire Academy Chant] When I get to heaven St. Peter's he will say "How'd you make your living" "How'd you earn your pay" I'll hold my axe up higher and higher Cause I make my living as a Fire Fighter! Fi-Er-Er-Er-Er Fight-Er-Er-Er-Er-Er And when I go to hell Ole Satan he will say "How'd you make your living" "How'd you earn your pay" I'll hold my hose up higher and higher Cause I make my living as a Fire Fighter! Fi-Er-Er-Er-Er Fight-Er-Er-Er-Er-Er -Sam A; 11/3/2006 {from a Tech School at a USA Fire Academy} http://www.cocojams.com/military_cadences.htm

****

When My Great Granny Was 91 [Fire Academy Chant] "Fire Academy's in the U.S often train in a para-military style. The following is a common cadence heard in the Fire Academy.

When my great granny was 91 She did PT just for fun When my great granny was 92 She did PT better than you When my great granny was 93 She did PT better than me When my great granny was 94 She did PT more and more When my great granny was 95 She did PT to stay alive When my great granny was 96 She did PT just for kicks When my great granny was 97 She up, she died, she went to heaven When my great granny was 98 She meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gate She said St. Peter, St. Peter sorry I'm late" - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jody_call

****

It appears that james is not the only one searching for firefighter cadences.

"fireslayer12370 3-31-2006, 12:04 PM does anyone now any good fire caidences. i am going through my academy now and needed some for our runs and while loading hose"

-snip-

Unfortunately, no examples of cadences were posted to that thread, but fireslayer12370 was given the advice to "Change the words [of military cadences] to suit your academy or local FD, and you have something to start with.

-snip-

That's what I said. :o}

But, I wonder does anyone know any military cadences that were changed to firefighter cadences? Or does anyone have any suggestions of which military cadences could be changed into firefighter cadences?

I'll email the URL of this thread to james in the hopes that he might join in this conversation. And I'll send him any suggestions that might be posted here.

Sung by various Oz infantry in WWI (and featuring in "Oh what a lovely war") to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic;

One staff officer jumped right over another staff officer's back then the second staff officer jumped right over the first staff officer's back; a third staff office jumped right over the second staff officer's back then the fourth staff officer jumped right over'll the other staff officers' backs. cho They were only playing leap frog they were only playing leap frog they were only playing leap frog when the last staff officer jumped right over'll the other staff officers' backs.

And, sung in MUR in 1963 and other Oz units before (no doubt) and since; We're a pack of bastards, bastards are we. We're from Australia, the arsehole of the world and all the universe, oh we're a pack of bastards, bastards are we. We'd rather f**k than fight, for liberty!

While I don't know the name of the tune for the latter (and I've never known it to have any other words, let alone polite ones), I noticed it was used by a military band not long ago during a public ceremony sending some Oz troops to Iraq; sensitivities must have become dulled.

when I was in Basic we had cadence that DS told us that we had to whisper. It was quite dirty and i have been trying to find it online with no luck. I do not recall all of the words except,"ring day dity dah doo dah dat, soft and furry like a pussy cat..." If there is a soldier from Yesterday's Army not Today's Army please help. If it helps DS was a Green Beret

I dont know the title of the song or the proper lyrics maybe someone will and post it here but here is what i know. (probably all wrong)

If i was a married maid thank the lord im not sir the only man thats right for me is the number one sir. And he'd Order on, I'd order on We'd all order on Together (something something) middle of the night Ordering together

If i was a married maid thank the lord im not sir the only man thats right for me is the Number 2 sir And He'd Pull Chord id pull chord we'd all pull chord together etc

#3 is Lay on #4 is Run Pole #5 is pull trail #6 is run Line #7 is load ammo or something

Then it goes to things like Recce man... He'd get lost I'd get lost we'd all get lost together

Is everybody happy Said the sergeant looking up Our hero feebly answered "Yes" And then they hooked him up, He jumped into the slipstream, And he twisted twenty times, And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus: |: Glory glory what a hell of a way to die, Glory glory what a hell of a way to die, And he ain't going to jump no more. 2. He counted loud, he counted long And waited for the shock He felt the wind, he felt the air, He felt that awful drop, He pulled his lines, the silk came down And wrapped around his legs And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus:

3. The days he lived and loved and laughed Kept running through his mind He thought about the medics And wondered what they would find, He thought about the girl back home, The one he left behind. And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus:

4. The lines all wrapped around his neck, The D rings broke his dome, His lift webs wrapped themselves In knots around each skinny bone, His canopy became his shroud As he hurtled to the ground , And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus:

5. The ambulance was on the spot, The jeeps were running wild, The medics, they clapped their hands And rolled their sleeves and smiled, For it had been a week or more, Since last a chute had failed, And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus:

6. He hit the ground, the sound was "splat", The blood went spurting high, His pals were heard to say Oh what a lovely way to die, They rolled him up still in his chute, And poured him from his boots, And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus:

7. There was blood upon his lift webs, There was blood upon his chute, Blood that came a trickling From his paratrooper boots, And there he lay like jelly In the welter of his gore, And he ain't going to jump no more. Chorus:

At Ft. Benning, 1968 we used a version closest to what Suz posted just above. The chorus as we did it was "Gory, gory," not "Glory, glory...." And we'd substitute the name of our least popular 'TAC' e.g., "Sergeant Brinker was the last to jump, the first to hit the ground ...." Other than that, that one's been about covered. Oh, but at the risk of being bashed as a pedant, it's got to be, "They took the Flying BOXCAR up to forty thousand feet," not the Flying Fortress, a bomber that wouldn't have anything to do with Airborne. The Flying Boxcar, should anyone care, was an old twin-boom two-engine plane, the C-119. We were about at the end of its tenure; later it was probably, "They took the C-one-thirty up to forty thousand feet."

Actually I don't remember literally marching to "Helluva Way to Die." We sang it if we were being trucked between training sites--just like in Band of Brothers, where they sing it on the road.

The song for the three-mile run was generally another one already noted but with minor changes. Our version always revolved around Bo Diddly

Bo Diddly Bo Diddly, where you been? Round the world and back again.

BD, BD, have you heard? I'm gonna jump from a big iron bird.

And so on, as above.

When they did let us march and not double-time, a standard was "Yellow Ribbon"

In her hair, she wore a yellow ribbon, She wore it in the springtime and in the month of May (hey! hey!) And if you asked her why the Hell she wore it, She wore it for her trooper who was far, far away.

Far away! (Far away!) Far away! (Far away!) She wore it for her trooper who was far far away.

Around the block, she pushed the baby carriage, She pushed it in the springtime ... And if you .... she pushed it, She put it for her trooper ....

Sometimes it was done "for her trooper in the airborne infantry," even though that cost the rhyme.

Madamoiselle from Armentriers (pronounced ar-men-TREERS regardless of what the real French pronuncement might be) is WW I era, but it was brought back in WW II.

The second lieutenant carries a pack, parlez vous? x2 The 2nd Lt. carries a pack; we hope to Hell it breaks his back! Inky dinky parlez vous.

They say this is a mechanized war--parlez vous? x2 They say this is a mechanized war; what in the Hell are we walking for? Inky dinky parlez vous.

----

There was a Bismarck era German one that I hope I can find some day; all I know is one couplet & I'd be thankful for more. Bear in mind that the first line is just nonsense and "Schneidig" is evidently an obsolete usage, but it was:

Zicke! Zacke! Jup hei die! Schneidig ist die Infantrie.

Free translation: "Ta-ra-ra boom de ay! The Infantry is snappy."

Finally, again at Ft. Benning, late sixties, we had two Irish Guards officers sent over to train with us in an "exchange program." They had a great one about a group of British soldiers going through all the miseries of service and horrors of war. I only heard it once, and only recall that the last line was about what they planned to do when they got out: "And we'll fornicate our ----ing lives away!"

In response to Curious's request of December 7, I remember the lyrics as:

If I were the marrying kind, which, thank the Lord, I'm not, Sir, The only man whom I would wed would be a Number One, Sir; He'd order "Fire!" and I'd order "Fire!" and we'd order "Fire!" together. We'd be all right in the middle of the night ordering "Fire!" together.

Number Two pulls the cord, Number Three lays on, Number Four plants pole, etc.

Perhaps the song Chicken Charlie is trying to remember is "I don't want to join the Army."

I don't want to join the Army, I don't want to go to war; I'd rather hang around Pickadilly Underground Living off the earnings of a high-born lady. I don't want a bayonet up me arsehole, I don't want me bollocks shot away. I'd rather be in England -- Merry, merry England -- Rogering me bloody life away, Gor blimey.

Monday, I touched her on the ankle, Tuesday, I touched her on the knee, Wednesday night, success! I lifted up her dress, Thursday night, she asked me home to tea. Friday night, I put my hand upon it. Saturday night, she gave me balls a tweak. On Sunday after supper, I shoved the Old Boy up 'er, And now she earns me seven and six a week, Gor Blimey....

Here's "Wey, hey, Rock and Roll" thanks to Google. I've changed a word here and there, to conform with the lyrics as I remember them. Also, the last verse below was not on the version I found through my Google search.

I liked to sing this with a different chorus that went like this:

Halo, halo infantry Queen of Battle, follow me Canadian life's the life for me But nothing in the world is free

That's how I heard it in 2004, but I'm sure that "Canadian life" was something else in the original. The tune was also different from the tune that is commonly sung to to "Way, hey, Rock and Roll".

Rock n' Roll - Call & Response

Chorus: Wahey Rock and Roll Wahey Rock and Roll A little bit of rhythm and soul Early in the morning

You've landed on the beach again Your orders are, you're diggin' in The rising sun's a beautiful thing Early in the morning

Chorus You stand-to when the sun goes down You're watching all the ground around You stand to watch it rise again Early in the morning

Chorus

From the bush a rustling sound Someone's moving on your ground The enemy's lying all around Early in the morning

Chorus

The enemy starts a creeping in Machine gun crews begin to grin The GPMG makes a terrible din - (Sung jimpy) Early in the morning

Chorus

You hear a bullet whistle by You see your buddies fall and cry Behind you there's a final sigh Early in the morning

Chorus

You see the Harrier over head And then you see a flash of red The rockets are gone, the enemy's dead Early in the morning

Chorus

You look back to the rear and then You see the choppers coming in The rising sun's a beautiful thing Early in the morning

Chorus

They're hovering just above your head And then they're down and someone said We'll take the wounded then the dead Early in the Morning

Chorus

Now look up to the front you men They'll come again, you know not when The rising sun's a beautiful thing Early in the morning

Chorus

The mortar bombs are raining down But you just want to hug the ground You hear your buddies calling round Early in the morning

Chorus

Your plane is flying far away You know you're homeward bound today It's sad so many had to pay Early in the morning

Chorus

You're on the street You're walking tall You turn to hear the people call You've made the grade, you've done it all Early in the morning

Just been walking at the WARMA march last weekend, and a Dutch group went by us the first day and were singing "hail oh hail oh infantry", but it did sound like halo Infantry. And that would make sense because I heard "Airbourn rangers life for me". But since googling hail oh hail oh infantry I found this link http://users.netropolis.net/schwartz/jodie.htm Was still a good song and has been stuck in my head all week.

The website that Jay Dougal pointed us to has a number of cadences whose tunes and words appear to be modified versions of 19th/early 20th century African American dance songs and rhymes {that in the late 20th & early 21st century would be considered children's rhymes, but didn't necessarily originate as rhymes for children}.

For instance, see these running cadence chants with either the title of the title or the verse/s of the source songs or rhymes given in brackets:

"Sittin' on a mountain top, beating my drum Beat it so hard that [t]he MP's come I said MP, MP, don't arrest me Arrest that leg behind the tree He stole the whiskey, I stole the wine All I ever do is double-time "

{also found as "policeman, policeman, don't arrest me" in some collections of children's rhymes}

**

Two old ladies lying in bed One rolled over to the other and said, "I wanna be an Airborne Ranger Live a life of sex and danger Blood, guts, sex, and danger That's the life of an Airborne Ranger!"

[line #1-2; "Shortnin Bread"]

**

"AWOL, AWOL, where've you been? Down in the bars, drinking gin What ya gonna do when you get back? Sweat it all out on the PT track"

["Hambone"]

** There are other examples on that page, but here's a marching cadence posted there whose source song is very easy to identify:

"You get a line and I'll get a pole ) CC Honey, honey ) G You get a line and I'll get a pole ) CC Baby, baby ) G You get a line and I'll get a pole ) ALL We'll go down to the fishin' hole ) ALL Refrain: Honey, oh baby, be mine ) ALL Go to your left, your right, your left ) ALL Go to your left, your right, your left, hey! ) ALL I had a girl who lived on a creek Honey, honey I had a girl who lived on a creek Baby, baby I had a girl who lived on a creek She was cute and she was sweet I had a girl, looked good in blue Honey, honey I had a girl, looked good in blue Baby, baby I had a girl, looked good in blue She could make a fool out of you"

[The Crawdad Song]

Here are the instructions that were posted on that page for that song:

"This one doesn't follow the normal call and echo of most cadences. The cadence caller says the CC lines, and the group replies with the G lines, instead of echoing the CC lines, then all call the ALL lines, with no echoing."

They say that in the Army, the chicken's mighty fine One jumped off the table and started marking time Refrain: Oh, Lord I wanna go But they won't let me go (group ends this line with home, stretched out over 8 paces, and a "Hey" on the right foot to end the refrain) They say that in the Army, the pay is mighty fine They give you a hundred dollars and take back ninety-nine They say that in the Army, the coffee's mighty fine It looks like muddy water, and tastes like turpentine They say that in the Army, the biscuits are mighty fine One rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine They say that in the Army, the meat is mighty fine Last night we had ten puppies, this morning only nine They say that in the Army, the shoes are mighty fine You ask for size eleven, they give you size nine They say that in the Army, the pancakes are mighty fine You can try to chew them, but you're only wasting time They say that in the Army, the bed's are mighty fine But how the hell would I know, I've never slept in mine They say that in the Army, the mail is so great Today I got a letter dated 1948 They say that in the Army, the hours are just right Start early in the morning and work on through the night They say that in the Army, the buses are mighty fine One went round the corner, and left three wheels behind They say that in the Army, the coffee's mighty fine It's good for cuts and bruises and tastes like iodine They say that in the Army, the chicken's mighty fine One jumped off the table and killed a friend of mine -snip-

I'm not sure whether this chant has once source song or several. There are a number of rhymes in Talley's Negro Folk Rhyme book that have lines with the end rhymes "fine/time/nine", but one old rhyme that comes to mind is this one:

The end rhymes "fine/dime/time/turpentine" are also commonly found in contemporary African American children's rhymes {and contemporary rhymes from other children as well} However, maybe because that product isn't used anymore and children aren't familiar with it, I haven't found any lines in contemporary children's rhymes that rhyme the word "iodine" with any of those other "ine" or near "ine" words.

**

The person who posted that "They Say..." cadence and the "You Get A Line" cadence found in my last post to this thread indicated that they were marching cadences and wrote this comment about them:

"These two have been around for a long time. There is an old US Army Signal Corps film from the First World War which shows basic trainees at Fort Leonard Wood singing these".

**

Thanks to the person who collected those candences [I couldn't find his [her?] name on that website]. And thanks also to Jay Dougal for alerting Mudcat to that website!

I was did Cosford this year and stumbled apon the song In 1941 Darby's Rangers just begun. I know this song has been posted on many websites but my SQN and me were walking with the Danish forces when we listenend to the song for about half and hour, theres was a lot more words to it but I cant seem to find them. Maybe its the Danes special version? Can anyone help?

"C-130 on the taxiway (repeat) Airbourne boys gonna jump today (repeat) buckle up shuffle up on floor (repeat) Red light Green light out the door (repeat) And if my chute dont open wide (repeat) i got a reserve by my side (repeat) And i f that one should fail me too (repeat) look out ground im coming through (repeat) Ill splatter far ill splatter wide (repeat) ill splatter all over the country-side. (repeat) If you find my led in my chest (repeat) tell the sarge i done my best (repeat) If you find my arm at my side (repeat) tell my ma i died with pride. (repeat) SOUND OFF!! (1-2) A LITTILE BIT LOUDER!!! (3-4) TURN IT AROUND AND BRIND IT ON DOWN NOW. (4-3-2-1...4-3..2-1 HOOORAH!!!)

"irene" (repeat)

"Irene, Irene she the best of the best" "and every night i give her the test" "moon was bright, the lights were dim" "and there she stood so slick and slim" "I opened her up and slipped right in" "i took that baby for a spin" "I rolled her over on her side" "And even on her back I tried" "Irene, Irene she's the best in the land" "She's a CF-18 in the fighter command"

oh and alternate ending to captian jack :Your left your right Dont mess up the step you right your left your right)

just the other day I head a red hat say you wanna be a rigger you gotta do it my way my way or the highway my way or the god damned highway my ways the right way your ways the highway

just the other day I heard a black hat say you wanna be airborne you gotta do it my way my way or the highway my way or the god damned highway my ways the right way your ways the highway

just the other day I heard a drill seargent say you wanna be a soldier you gotta do it my way my way or the highway my way or the god damned highway my ways the right way your ways the highway ===================== I know a soldier

a soldier like me

came from the projects

raised in the streets

but he signed the papers

wearing army greens

now hes a soldier

a soldier like me ========= Left left left right (airborne) left left left right *airborne) 1 2 3 4 (oo ah airborne) Your left your left your left right left your military left your ledt your right now pick up the step your left your right your left ============== let me heear your bark to the left (element turns head to left and barks) let me see you bark to the right (barks to the right) Let me see you bark two times (barks left then right) goddamn thats tight your out of sight your left right your left

-You can change bark to stomp, lean, freeze- ================= oh there are no airborne ranger in the navy there are no airborne rangers in the navy cuz they ride around in boats doing god knows what with goat oh there are no airborne rangers in the navy

there are no airborne rangers in the airforce there are no airborne rangers in the airforce because they up in the sky then they crash and then they die oh there are no airborne rangers in the airforce

there are no airborne rangers in the marines there are no airborne rangers in the marines cuz they go from shore to shore making mothers out of whores oh there are no airborne rangers in the marines

there are no airborne rangers in the coast guard there are no airborne rangers in the coast guard cuz they also ride in boats and they probably are the goats oh there are no airborne rangers in the coast guard

Since children comprise a large percentage of the visitors to that site, I only post "clean" versions of cadences, without curse words. I'm interested in posting these two cadences you shared because they "sound" a lot like children's chants:

Left left left right (airborne) left left left right *airborne) 1 2 3 4 (oo ah airborne) Your left your left your left right left your military left your ledt your right now pick up the step your left your right your left ============== let me heear your bark to the left (element turns head to left and barks) let me see you bark to the right (barks to the right) Let me see you bark two times (barks left then right) goddamn thats tight your out of sight your left right your left

-You can change bark to stomp, lean, freeze- =================

-snip-

Do I have your permission to post a modified version of those chants that excludes curse words and substitutes a word such as "Ooh, that's tight out of sight your left your right your left? If so, I would label the parts of those cadences that are revised. And of course I would acknowledge your contribution, and the fact that these cadences were first posted on Mudcat.

If you have other clean or modified clean examples, I would appreciate if you would share them with me for Cocojams and of course also for Mudcat.

Amazing how many of us experienced Nijmegan through the Air Training Corps (41F will rule forever)

Most of the cadances I know are already up, but I do have one addition.

In the song (usually call and refrain in my experience) "They say that in the Army", firstly it should be noticed that Navy, Air Force and Corps all scan just as well. Secondly there's a chorus after each observation: Leader--"Oh Lord I wanna go-oh" squad--"but they won't let me go-oh" Leader--"Oh Lord I wanna go-oh" All--"Hoooooooooome"

Perhaps a little of my career history...

I used to work in Chicago in a large department store I used to work in Chicago but I don't work there any more A lady came in for some nails, nails from the store... Nails she wanted a screw she got, and I don't work there any more"

...continue, one verse by each squad member for as long as your gutter minds can come up with really poorly disguised double entendres.

Hey you knuckleheads, (reply: Hey you knuckleheads) You dumb dumb knuckleheads, (reply: You dumb dumb knuckleheads) You crazy knuckleheads (reply: You crazy knuckleheads) Marching down this avenue (reply: Marching down this avenue) ...(number, starting with ten) more miles and we'll be through (reply:... more miles and we'll be through) Are we going strong? (reply: we're strong) Am I right or wrong? (reply: You're right) Sound off (reply: One, two) Round off (reply: Three, four) Turn em all around and bring em back down now (reply: 4,3,2,1 4,3,2,1)

Keep repeating that, changing the number of miles each time, going down from ten to zero =)

C-130 rollin' down the strip Recon daddy gonin' take a little trip Mission unspoken destination unknown Never know if your comin' home And if i die on the old drop zone Pin my medels onto my chest Tell my momma i did my best Now stand up hook up and shuffle to the door Jump on out and shout MARINE CORE

I have an entire list of running cadences and marching cadences that I got from my dad who is retired Air Force. My brother is NYPD and they use cadences too at the acadamy. I gave most of my cadence lyrics to my high school rotc instructor. She's ok with us singing them during drill. Soon she will post my collection of running cadence lyrics on my school rotc site (after we figure out whether or not we'll violate copyright stuff). I graduate in june of 2010 and I plan on joining the Air Force. I found some ok cadences that are made by cadence masters. They sound like running cadences mixed with cool music so I really like marching to them in the gym. I dont think she can post them on the school's site but if you search cadence masters you should find them. Don't download the Navy album because it doesn't have music it's just a bunch of people running and singing. I downloaded the navy songs first and realized that we couldn't use them for our rotc drills but the armed forces album is good for our drill. I will reply back here soon when we post those lyrics on my school's rotc page.

There is a great march version of " I didn't raise my son to be a Soldier" on an old Hamish Imlach cassette I got for fifty cents at the local Goodwill store. My kids and grandkids love to sing along as we cruise through NW Washington. Much better song for rallyin' than "Give Peace a Chance" Kids also loved Peter Tosh: Equal Rights and Justice. seth

Hey, I'm going to camp in about a week. Our school needs a few cadence calls to do that other schools wont have. We're an army jrotc, but it's hard to find anything good. Can anyone help me with some appropriate jodies? It's high school, but we still need to keep it clean. How good our calls are also affects our score at the end of camp. Help?? If you have anything we could use, email me at bebeshyxx@hotmail.com. Thanks!

there once was a girl named betty brown swore no man could lay her down then over the hill came perfect pete he had 50 pounds of swingin meat laid betty down out in the grass shoved his d*ck straight up her a$$ then betty ripped out a mighty fart blew petes balls 40 feet apart then over the hill went perfect pete with 50 pounds of damaged meat

Quote: Guest - Edmund. Er, that was me signing on as guest. I also see that I didn't actually post the lyrics to "Our Sergeant Major" as I thought I did. Here goes: (End Quote)

Thanks for those lyrics. I remember when I was little, and in cubs, a veteran came in to talk to us about the war and he sang some songs. That was one of those songs. I'm not sure if those were the same lyrics, but I've always wanted a copy of the words. Thank you so much.

I know a few Iunno if anyone still goes to this website but here we go.

Have gun will travel reach the heart of a man a knight without armor in a foreign land a soldier of fortune is an Airborne Ranger

Another one

First Sergeant says y'all fall in I say to myself here we go again a long hard day now lies ahead We'll be there when the morning comes f*** their minds up with our guns we're the best that you will see we're the g**d*** Infantry (airborne ranger infantry) and if another comrade falls we'll kill em one we'll kill em all for it's very plain to see he's an Infantryman (airborne ranger) just like me

Another one we made up during osut

Big red square on my shoulder pick up the stretcher and follow me Imma be a heat casualty

RTO where is the brick at? We need a 9 line medevac somebody had a heart attack

Aid and litter where is the stretcher? Pick up the stretcher and follow me I'm a potential heat casualty

Drill sergeant where is the water? Fill up your camelbaks and follow me I ain't no heat casualty

Also another one set to the tune of "The Candyman" I don't remember hardly any of the words

Who can make an explosion? The Sapper daddy can. The Sapper daddy? The Sapper daddy can cuz he mixes chemicals the best that he can

Another we made up at OSUT

Sick call ranger sick call ranger where have ya been? Well I've bern to the hospital sick call ranger sick call ranger what do you have. Well I have the itis that's what I have

There is a news story relevant to this thread. If I can (if the computer lets me) I will data-entry the body of the story itself. I found this article at: www.wltx.com (a broadcast, maybe TV station?); I was searching for the story's subject, Command Sergeant Major Lamont Christian.

Dated September 12, 2014

Ft Jackson Drill Sergeant Writes Song That Inspires

A search for a catchy work-out song ended up with the discovery of a Midlands' drill sergeant's CADENCE on a popular Gatorade commercial.

"To push yourself, not to give up and that's the theme that we give to soldiers, " Command Sgt. Maj. Lamont Christian said. In the darkness and even at the crack of dawn, you can hear the rhythmic stories of army life. "Cadences, especially for the Army, is one of those opportunities for an individual to basically lose themselves during the run, " Command Sgt. Mag. Christian said.

Command Sgt Maj Christian heads the drill sergeant school at Ft. Jackson, and even though you may never have seen him, you've probably heard him. As his son was looking for work-out music, he came across his father's voice. "We did some more Google searches and came across a commercial and we played the commercial and it was the cadence used as a sample for that Gatorade commercial," Command Sgt Maj Christian said. The commercial was used for the BCS championship and even for the Final Four.

Command Sgt Maj Christian said his son and sister identified his voice with just three words. "There's a portion in the cadence where I said, 'There you go.' And my grandfather used to say that all the time to motivate us when I was younger and he'd say, 'There you go, young man,' " Command Sgt Maj Christian said.

He said he's gotten lots of phone calls from former students asking if that is his voice in the commercial. Many people are pointing out his fame, but he attributes it to the soldiers who actually sing along.

"That cadence would not be a cadence without soldiers. If I sang it by myself, it would just be me singing. And I'm no Michael Jackson or Eric Bolton or anyone else," Command Sgt Maj Christian said. "With that it's the soldiers actually that I give my praise to because they sound off."

Here's the original English-language version of the Irish national anthem, The Soldier's Song, as sung dry-mouthed by the garrison of the GPO as they retreated into Moore Street in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916; here is how it is sung - always in Irish now - as our anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann .